Triple TX length. Anti-nausea/ rash

[Cory255]

Got the dreaded rash on elbows, knees, & feet wk 7 on Incivek, Pegasus (alfa-2a), & Copegus.  

I've tried the following, any interactions with these and incivek?

Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Cream - Cortaid Brand
Maximum Strength Cortisone Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Cream
Diphenhydramine HCI 25 mg Anthihistamine

Geno 1, starting viral load 2,230,643.  Wk 4 VL not-detected.  I need advisement on # of wks I need to do?  

Previous TX - 09' - 44 wks w/ Peg-interferon alfa-2b & Ribavirin.  Cleared ( UND ) @ wk 12 - relapsed 1 month post TX.

Also, I was prescribed Promethazine 25 mg, generic for Phenergan for anti-nausea.  Any interactions w/ incivek?

[Dee1956]

Hi Cory, so happy to hear you are treating.  I am sure you have received lots of great information I just wanted to say hello.
Also I used Atarax and also iced the itchy skin with frozen wascloths until the Atarax started working, best to you.  Godd to see you
Dee

[pooh55811]

I got the nausea and the rash, lol.

I take Zofran 8 mg every 8 hours and it works very well. I was very ill before starting it and within a day or two felt so much better.

For the rash and itching, I take Hydroxyzine 25 to 50 mg every 6 hours. Currently I am taking 7 tabs a day, 50 mg in the am, 25 mg about 11, 50 mg at 5p, and 50 mg at 10:30 p. I also have a prescription for clobetesol soln. and 1 for fluocinonide ointment. For me, the fluocinonide cleared up the rash that I put the ointment on (but it took a long time to do it, weeks), but then the rash just moverd next door. It did help the itching. I found tthat he Hydroxyzine was not nearly as effective at a low dose. I started at 20 mg every night. That was not anywhere near what I needed. Once I got on the correct does, I felt so much better. The rash cleared up pretty well, and the itching pretty much ceased. If the rash is a drug reaction it is systemic. That is why the pills (at the correct dose) work better. They suppress it systemically. The yopical ointments and creams will work for the area you put it on, but they do nothing about the cause of the rash, the systemic drug reaction.

I found the over the counter meds to be worthless. I may as well have been taking sugar. They are just not strong enough for a true systemic drug reaction.

The drugs I use are all safe and I ran them by my pharmacist to be double sure that there would be no reactions with the Hep C meds.

[BoceprevirGal]

Yeah..it helped alot, but I went off of it, once my rash was no longer visible.
Now I'm just kind of itching all over, like I'm on an opiate or something. I was just at the store, trying not to scratch my head, because I didn't want other people around to think I hade lice or something, heh
   My rash is just from the ribavirin though, I know the incivek rash can be more serious though, so make sure you mentionit to your Doctor, at your next visit (hopefully it's soon?) and get him to prescribe the anti-itch pills, and a prescription cream.
   Some people on here have had better luck going to a Dermatologist, but I hate making appts, and going to Specialists, and there is always a long wait, etc
  That Gold Bond lotion sounds good also, though. I might try some of that

[Cory255]

For now...the promethezine works for my nausea, I may ask about zofran if it gets any worse, it sure does sound potent with the headaches.

[Cory255]

Changing to Zofrans not a bad idea, and I appreciate the idea.  The promethazine I believe seems safe when not on an AD, since so many others were on it as well.

[Cory255]

The itching is crazy, so the hydroxyzine's helped a little bit?  I try to stay outta the sun, if I wear a hat or shades it's not so bad.